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Broken arm or wrist
Get medical advice as soon as possible if you think you have broken your arm or wrist. Any possible breaks need to be treated as soon as possible. It's not always clear if your arm or wrist is broken or just sprained so it's important to get your injury looked at by a healthcare professional.
Urgent advice:
Get advice from 111 now if:
You have had an injury to your arm or wrist and:
the injury is very painful
there is a large amount of swelling or bruising
you cannot use the affected arm or wrist due to the pain
111 will tell you what to do. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
Other ways to get help
Immediate action required:
Go to A&E or call 999 if:
the affected arm or wrist is numb, is tingling or has pins and needles
you have a bad cut that is bleeding heavily
a bone is sticking out of your skin
your arm or wrist has changed shape or is at an odd angle
Things to do while you're waiting to see a doctor
Do
use a towel as a sling to support the affected arm – The St John Ambulance website has more information about how to make an arm sling
gently hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel) to the injured area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
stop any bleeding by applying pressure to the wound with a clean pad or dressing if possible
remove any jewellery such as rings or watches – your fingers, wrist or hand could swell up
take paracetamol for the pain
Don’t
do not eat or drink anything in case you need surgery to fix the bone when you get to hospital
do not try to use the affected arm or wrist
Treatment for a broken arm or wrist
When you get to hospital the affected arm will be placed in a splint to support it and stop any broken bones from moving out of position.
You will also be given painkilling medicines for the pain.
An X-ray is then used to see if there is a break and how bad that break is.
A plaster cast can be used to keep your arm in place until it heals – sometimes this may be done a few days later, to allow any swelling to go down first. You may be given a sling to support your arm.
A doctor may try to fit the broken bones back into place with their hands before applying a splint or cast – you will be given medicine before this happens so you will not feel any pain. If you had a very bad break surgery may be carried out to fix broken bones back into place.
Before leaving hospital, you'll be given painkillers to take home and advice on how to look after your cast.
Find out how to take care of your plaster cast
You'll be asked to attend follow-up appointments to check how your arm or wrist is healing.
How long does it take to recover from a broken arm or wrist?
In most cases it takes around 6 to 8 weeks to recover from a broken arm or wrist. It can take longer if your arm or wrist was severely damaged.
You will need to wear your plaster cast until the broken bone heals. The skin under the cast may be itchy for a few days but this should pass.
The hospital will give you an advice sheet on exercises you should do every day to help speed up your recovery.
Your arm or wrist may be stiff and weak after the cast is removed. A physiotherapist can help with these problems, although sometimes they can last several months or more.
Things you can do to help during recovery
Do
try to keep your hand raised above your elbow whenever possible; use a pillow at night to do this
follow any exercise advice you have been given
use the painkillers you have been given to ease pain
Don’t
do not get your cast wet – waterproof cast covers are available from pharmacies
do not use anything to scratch under the cast as this could lead to an infection
do not drive or try to lift heavy items until you have been told it is safe to do so
Read more about how to look after your plaster cast
Urgent advice:
Get advice from 111 now if:
the pain in your arm or wrist gets worse
your temperature is very high or you feel hot and shivery
your cast breaks, or the cast feels too tight or too loose
your fingers, wrist and arm start to feel numb
your fingers, wrist and arm look swollen or turn blue or white
there's a bad smell or discharge of liquid from under your cast
111 will tell you what to do. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
Other ways to get help
Page last reviewed: 27 May 2020
Next review due: 27 May 2023
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